Kelly's 10 Most Annoying Things About Summer In Minnesota

After waiting through a long Minnesota winter, you'd think that summer in Minnesota would be perfect.

Don't get me wrong! I absolutely love this time of year. But even the most dedicated Minnesota summer fans have a few things that annoy them. Here are some of mine.

1. Mosquitoes That Could Carry Away a Small Dog

Every summer, Minnesotans find themselves locked in an annual battle with mosquitoes. It doesn't matter if you're sitting on the deck, enjoying a bonfire, or taking a quick walk to the mailbox. Those little vampires always seem to find you. At this point, I think they've evolved to see bug spray as a seasoning.

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2. Summer Is Never Long Enough

We spend months dreaming about warm weather while scraping ice off our windshields. Then summer finally arrives, and before we know it, back-to-school sales are everywhere, and pumpkin spice is making its comeback. It feels like we wait eight months for a season that lasts about eight minutes.

3. Anything Above 80 Degrees Is Too Hot

I know some people love scorching temperatures, but I'm not one of them. Give me sunshine and 72 degrees, and I'm perfectly happy. Once the thermometer creeps into the mid-80s, you'll find me hiding indoors and questioning why I ever complained about winter.

4. Road Construction Season

Minnesota has a reputation for two seasons: winter and road construction. Just when the snow finally disappears, the orange cones pop up everywhere. Somehow, every route I need to take is under construction at the same time.

5. Every Weekend Is Already Booked

Because our warm-weather season is so short, everyone tries to squeeze every event into the same few months. Weddings, graduations, festivals, reunions, lake trips, and neighborhood parties somehow end up scheduled on the same weekend.
Sleeping With the Windows Open

6. Sleeping With The Windows Open Should be Fun

In theory, sleeping with the windows open sounds wonderful. In reality, it means listening to motorcycles, barking dogs, fireworks, crickets, and that one bird that apparently never sleeps. Fresh air is nice, but so is a full night's sleep.

7. The Sun Refuses to Go to Bed

Minnesota summer evenings are beautiful, but they can also be misleading. When it's still bright outside at 9:30 p.m., my brain convinces me there's plenty of time to start a new project. Suddenly it's midnight, and I'm reorganizing a closet that didn't need reorganizing, and I have four hours before I have to get up for work!

8. The Great Sunburn Mistake

Minnesotans often fall for the same trap every year. We see a pleasant 72-degree day and decide sunscreen probably isn't necessary. A few hours later, we're bright red and learning that the sun doesn't care what the temperature says.

9. No More Mr.Twisty

It seems like Mr. Twisty's opens, and I have three chances to get a googly eye cone before they close their doors for the summer.

10. The Annual Realization That Winter Is Coming

This might be the biggest summer complaint of all. Around the middle of August, every Minnesotan has the same unsettling thought: "Wait a minute... summer is almost over." That's when we start trying to cram three months of fun into the few weekends we have left.

Have I missed anything?